# A novel melanoma therapeutic target: Elucidating the structure and mapping functional domains of the lncRNA SAMMSON

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $35,486

## Abstract

A novel melanoma therapeutic target: Elucidating the structure and mapping functional domains of the
lncRNA SAMMSON
The incidence of melanoma has doubled since the 1970’s, thus, there is an urgent need for a cure for this
cancer. SAMMSON (survival associated mitochondrial melanoma-specific oncogenic noncoding) is a long-
noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expressed exclusively in malignant melanoma cells. In melanoma cells, depletion of
SAMMSON induces apoptosis. This phenomenon suggests that SAMMSON is essential for melanoma cell
survival, making SAMMSON an attractive target for anti-cancer therapy. SAMMSON interacts with p32, a
protein necessary for mitochondrial maintenance; little else known about SAMMSON structure and function. To
pursue a potential therapy targeting SAMMSON, it is necessary to determine the secondary structural
ensembles that SAMMSON adopts in vivo and the SAMMSON structural requirements for interaction with p32.
Although lncRNAs are implicated in a multitude of cellular processes, only a few lncRNA structures are known.
Among those structures, specific domains have been found to be essential for lncRNA function. Thus, we
propose to perform the following studies: (1) We will model the in vitro and in vivo secondary structures of
SAMMSON using SHAPE-MaP, a high throughput RNA chemical probing technology, and (2) We will identify
the domains within SAMMSON necessary for SAMMSON:p32 interaction. Completion of these Aims will
provide crucial information necessary to design inhibitors of SAMMSON:p32 interaction that may be effective
anti-melanoma agents.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9850084
- **Project number:** 5F31GM130040-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Aaztli Coria
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $35,486
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9850084

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9850084, A novel melanoma therapeutic target: Elucidating the structure and mapping functional domains of the lncRNA SAMMSON (5F31GM130040-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9850084. Licensed CC0.

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